7-0 baby
Just back from a quick 2 day trip to Wrightsville Beach (see last week's series of kvetches about Priceline.com) and i hear our City Council unanimously rejected Fairway Outdoor Advertising and K&L Gates request to amend Durham zoning regs to allow some of them newfangled 60 foot digital TVs on our highways.
Here's the thing that caught my eye, from Ray's piece in the Herald-Sun:
The word progressive also came up a lot in last week's presentation to the County Commissioners, also stage managed by K&L Gates on behalf of their client Southern Durham Development, Inc., for a rezoning application for the 751 South (nee 751 Assemblage) development.
So in addition to the pattern here, i'm wondering just who is defining "progressive" here, and why are we letting them do that?
More thoughts about what might constitute "progressive" in Durham later this week, after i soothe my sunburn.
Here's the thing that caught my eye, from Ray's piece in the Herald-Sun:
"Honestly, we came to Durham first because we thought Durham was the most open-minded and progressive city" in the Triangle, said Paul Hickman, Fairway's area general manager.
The word progressive also came up a lot in last week's presentation to the County Commissioners, also stage managed by K&L Gates on behalf of their client Southern Durham Development, Inc., for a rezoning application for the 751 South (nee 751 Assemblage) development.
So in addition to the pattern here, i'm wondering just who is defining "progressive" here, and why are we letting them do that?
More thoughts about what might constitute "progressive" in Durham later this week, after i soothe my sunburn.
Labels: billboards, City Council, development
Since 1949, Durhamites have slept soundly, secure in the knowledge that, in our town, erection can be depended upon. Now, thanks to the power of the internets, we can spread that security all over the world.
5 Comments:
Myrtle Beach has a lot of digital billboards. The most progressive city I've ever been to.
By
toastie, at 4:57 PM
Progressive slots?
By
Barry, at 5:08 PM
The obvious trend in pushing for these projects is to adopt progressive rhetoric without the concurrent substance. This was quite evident at the Planning Commission hearing for 751 South when one of the commissioners asked an SDD representative what exactly did he mean by "complete streets" (he had been talking about them with some frequency).
After a moment or two of hesitation, he said, "Ummm... Just Google it." Realizing that that was a pretty poor explanation he then mentioned something about streets in the Netherlands.
If you actually Google "complete streets" the first thing that pops up defines them as streets designed to accomodate "bicyclists, public transportation vehicles and riders, and pedestrians of all ages and abilities."
It's going to be hard to accommodate public transportation riders when there isn't any public transportation.
By
Marc_Durham, at 5:49 PM
Would love to see someone start talking about appropriately scaled and dense mixed use development for this site. Along with the necessary public transportation infrastructure to start making connections between North Durham and downtown faster and more convenient.
This area here has some long term potential, if Club Blvd. ever becomes a transit corridor, which it should. There are obviously environmental considerations with both sites (Ellerbe Creek, etc.) but certainly no more challenging than building on the shores of Jordan Lake. And get the density up on both the Roxboro and Club corridors, and a streetcar grid practically builds itself.
My vision is for the intersection of Club, Avondale and Roxboro to be a streetcar junction with lots of appropriate commercial development.
It's obviously easier, though, to make more money selling large tract suburban housing to migrants fleeing large tract suburban housing up north. Sell enough of it, and you bring all the problems (high taxes, long commutes, no culture) here, and everyone feels right at home.
By
Barry, at 6:10 PM
Speaking of progressive:
Alex Mitchell, president of Southern Durham Development Inc., released a statement shortly after the vote saying the company would continue through the approval process.
"Our development has met every regulatory and other legal standard throughout the nearly two years already invested in planning," he said. "We are going ahead with enthusiasm and a deep commitment to continued success as we join in Durham's bright and progressive future."
http://www.heraldsun.com/view/full_story_news_durham/9066914/article-751-South-opponents-plan-legal-challenge?instance=main_article
By
Rob Gillespie, at 7:39 AM
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